The Aftermath
by rikkurox
Summary: Just a quick, fluffy story about what happens with Clarisse and Joseph after they dance following Mia's princess lesson.


A/N - I haven't written anything in a long time but I watched the princes diaries the other day (I'm far too old for it I know) and I was inspired to write this. It's just a bit of fluff about Clarisse and Joseph. I don't own any the characters. Hope you like it, please R and R.

Clarrise tossed and turned in bed. It was only 9pm but she hadn't been able to concentrate on her work. She had told her staf that she had a headache and had gone to bed. She hoped that sleep would make everything clearer but so far it wasn't working. She was going over the afternoon's events in her head. How the touch of his hand to hers had made her spine tingle, and how being in his arms had sent her heart racing. She felt guilty about the whole affair, even though she told herself it was only a dance. They had danced before, many times, when Rupert had been alive. He had been her partner at many balls when Rupert had been too ill to dance, but this had been different. She recalled how his odd had felt pressed up against her. How she had wanted to stay in his arms and never leave. How she longer for him to be here with her now.

'Oh this is ridulous' thought Clarrise, she got out of bed, 'I just need a distraction.'She flicked through the channels of her television for a while but nothing caught her interest. There was a few programmes on that she normally would have enjoyed, but tonight she couldn't concentrate at all. She picked up her sewing but put it down again, convinced that she wouldn't be able to sew in a straight line. 'I need help!' Clarisse pressed a button on her call unit, "Charlotte.""yes ma'am?" "... Could you come up here for a moment please?""Of course your majesty."

A minute later there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Charlotte stepped in to the room.

"Is everything alright ma'am? Is your headache worse?"

"My headache?" Clarisse began, forgetting about her lie for a moment, "oh, no, it's fine thank you Charlotte. I just..." Clarisse realised that she had no idea why she had called Charlotte to her, or what she was going to tell her.

"Your majesty?"

"Oh Charlotte I've been add a complete fool of myself." Clarisse sat down on her sofa, her head in her hands,

"Your majesty?" Charlotte asked again, she wasn't acostumed to seeing the queen, who was normally so together, in this state. Is this about this afternoon? She wondered

Charlotte looked up, she couldn't bear to tell Charlotte what happened, she wanted her to know but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. She wondered what Charlotte would think of her, the queen, having these thoughts about a member of staff, and her head of security at that! Charlotte, meanwhile, was in a dilemma. On one hand the queen was obviously upset and needed to talk, revealing what she had seen could he her do that. On the other hand if she told the queen what she had witnessed between her and Joseph, well Clarisse might be very displeased. She decided to risk it,"

Is this about Joseph ma'am?"

Clarisse turned to face Charlotte,

"what?" "It's just..." Charlotte stumbled loosing her nerve, "well, I saw you... dancing... with him earlier and I..."

"You saw that?" Clarisse looked horrified, and panic stricken, "did anyone else?" She began to pace the room.

"No your majesty, nobody else could have."

"Oh thank goodness." Clarisse flopped on to the sofa, exhausted. "What am I going to do Charlotte?"

Charlotte was extremely uncomfortable, she had never imagine herself giving the queen advice on relationships, but she knew that she had to try and help. Clarisse was obviously upset and it was her job to calm her down.

"Do you have feelings for him, your majesty?"

"No..." Clarisse began, "well actually, oh I don't know." she exclaimed. "The past few months Ive felt... but am I even allowed to have feeling for him? I'm a queen, and Rupert only died last year."

Charlotte sat beside her, "you're a person, as well as queen," she said, "of course you are entitled to have feelings for someone, and you are entilted to happiness."

"Happiness at what cost? To be happy at the expense of my country? My people? My granddaughter even? I couldn't do that."

Charlotte sighed, she understood the queen's concerns, but the more she thought about it the more she thought that Clarisse and Joseph would make an ideal couple. "you have given most of your life to Genovia, and Mia will be an excellent princess, and one day an excellent queen. But right now you owe it to yourself, and to Joseph, to find out what this 'thing' between the two of you is."

"I hope you are right Charlotte," Clarisse sighed, "I will talk to Joseph though, tomorrow. You should get some rest Charlotte."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather I stay ma'am?"

"No Charlotte, thank you though, I feel better now I've talked this through with someone."

"if you need anyting your majesty, just call."

"Thank you Charlotte." Clarisse turned to go to bed, "oh, who is patrolling this floor tonight?" Clarisse always liked to know who was keeping her safe,

Charlotte paused for a moment, "Joseph" she said eventually.

"Oh," the queen's face was suddenly very white.


End file.
